


The Efflorescence of Devotion

by mminnex



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Baekchen - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:05:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5163203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mminnex/pseuds/mminnex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Byun Baekhyun met Kim Jongdae. ["My Everything" side story]</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Efflorescence of Devotion

 

 

_“Are you okay?”_

 

_Baekhyun looked up, teary-eyed, at the boy standing in front of him with a cupcake in hand. He lifted one of his arms and pointed over at the group of boys standing by the swings. “They won’t play with me…”_

 

_“Why?”_

 

_“They said my parents didn’t…didn't want me so they don’t want me either. That’s why I’m living with grandma.”_

 

_“I’ll play with you!”_

 

_Baekhyun looked up at the boy in front of him in astonishment. “Really?”_

 

_“Mmm-hmmm,” the raven-haired boy replied, grinning widely. “I’m Jongdae! Kim Jongdae.”_

 

_“I’m… Byun Baekhyun…”_

 

_“Byun? Your grandmother makes the best cheese bread in town!” Jongdae exclaimed, his face brightening even more. He cranked his neck to look at the group of boys staring over at them. “It’s their own loss for not wanting to be friends with you…”_

 

_Baekhyun brought his sleeve up to his face and wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Why are you being so nice to me?” the six-year-old boy asked skeptically._

 

_“I like you!” Jongdae replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. He reached out his hand, grabbed onto Baekhyun’s, and pulled the brunet up. “Want to share my cupcake?” he offered, shoving the pastry in front of Baekhyun’s face._

 

_Baekhyun sniffed, then smiled. “Okay!”_

 

_Jongdae split the cupcake in two, gave half to his new friend, and then swung one arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re my friend now! I’ll take care of you!”_

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

“Byun Baekhyun! I’m going to leave if you don’t hurry up!” Jongdae yelled from the front yard, tapping his foot impatiently.

 

“I’m coming!” Baekhyun’s voice carried out the window of the second floor of the house. Jongdae huffed, and moments later, Baekhyun opened the front door with his backpack hanging on one shoulder, and greeted him with a bright smile. “Geez, you’re so impatient.”

 

Jongdae scoffed, and playfully shoved his neighbor as the two boys continued down the path towards school. “ _I’m_  the one working the part-time job at night,” Jongdae says. “How come  _you’re_  the one that’s always late in the morning?”

 

“I need to get my beauty sleep,” Baekhyun replied, smirking at his friend. “Here,” the brunet said, shoving a paper bag in his friend’s face. “I snuck some of grandma’s bread out for you.”

 

“Really?!” Jongdae exclaimed, snatching the bag eagerly. He opened the brown paper bag and peeked inside, sticking his nose in to take a whiff of the delicious aroma that was Grandma Byun’s cheese bread, and groaned. “You’re forgiven.”

 

Baekhyun scoffed as he watched Jongdae pull out the still-warm pastry from the bag. “Baekkie,” Jongdae said around a mouth full of bread. “When am I going to be able to try  _your_  cheese bread?”

 

“I don’t think you’d want to try it…” Baekhyun mumbled, kicking the ground. “I don’t know how she does it!” the brunet whined, throwing his hands in the air dramatically. Jongdae chuckled as he continued to shovel warm bread into his mouth.

 

“You’ll get the hang of it eventually, Baekkie,” Jongdae encouraged, swinging an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I’ll be your taste tester!”

 

Baekhyun grinned, glancing over at his friend. “Why are you so nice to me?”

 

“Because I like you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

Baekhyun groaned as the foot connected to his abdomen. “Fucking fag!” Joon yelled, grabbing the brunet’s collar and pulling him up to his feet. Baekhyun scrunched his eyes shut, anticipating the pain from the punch…which never came. He opened his eyes tentatively, and sagged in relief when he saw Jongdae standing next to the bully, grabbing hold of his wrist.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jongdae seethed dangerously, his eyes darkening as he took in Baekhyun’s split lip and bruised cheek.

 

“YAH! It’s none of your fucking business!” Joon replied, pushing Jongdae off, and gearing up for the swing once again. Baekhyun winced as the force of Jongdae’s punch caused the bully to fall back, bringing Baekhyun along with him by the collar.

 

“DON’T.”  _Punch_. “YOU DARE.”  _Punch_. “TOUCH HIM AGAIN!” Jongdae threw one last punch before Baekhyun dragged himself over to his livid friend and took Jongdae’s hand in both of his. Jongdae turned and looked up, taking in Baekhyun’s pained expression, and the shake of his head.

 

“Let it go, Jongdae…” Baekhyun whispered, gently tugging on the other boy. Jongdae reluctantly got off the beaten bully, sending the boy on the ground a death glare.

 

“Touch him again, and I’ll kill you,” the raven-haired boy seethed, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun protectively. “Are you okay?” he asked, turning to his friend, his voice much more gentle. “Let’s go. I'll bring you to the nurse.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head. “No, I’m fine,” he smiled, trying to reassure the other boy. “Let’s just go home.”

 

Jongdae’s lips became a thin line as he studied the brunet in front of him. He glanced over at Joon, still whimpering on the ground, and for a second, Baekhyun thought he would run over and start beating the bully again. Instead, he turned and knelt, giving his back to Baekhyun. “Get on, I’ll carry you home.”

 

Baekhyun winced as he climbed onto his friend’s back, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s neck as the other boy grabbed both his and Baekhyun’s backpack. “Thank you, Jongdae…” Baekhyun whispered, leaning his head on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Thanks for being there.”

 

“I’m your friend, Baek. I’ll always be there.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

_‘Come by my house when you get out of work tonight! ^^’_

 

Jongdae looked down at his phone screen once again before knocking on the door. He was exhausted, but Baekhyun wanted him over…so here he was. Jongdae frowned when a minute passed and there was still no answer. He knocked again, then tried the doorknob, his frown growing when he found it was unlocked. “Baekhyun?” the raven-haired boy asked, cautiously pushing the door open and stepping into the dark hallway. “Grandma?”

 

No response.

 

Jongdae grabbed the closest weapon to him – a vase sitting on one of the cabinets in the hallways – and continued further into the house. His fingers dialed the number for emergency services, and hovered over the call button as he continued to tiptoe into the living room. He was suddenly blinded when the lights in the room suddenly came on, followed by loud exclamations of excitement.

 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONGDAE!!!”

 

Jongdae blinked several times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness in the room, and finally focused on a beaming Baekhyun hold a tray of cheese bread in his hands, his grandmother standing right beside him with party poppers which she was struggling with. He blinked again, and then burst into laughter.

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother, having already given up on the party favor, walked over to the boy and wrapped him in a tight hug. “Happy birthday, dear.”

 

“I made them myself! Come make a wish, Dae!” Baekhyun said, grabbing a single candle and putting it into one of the pastries, beaming from ear to ear.

 

Jongdae felt Baekhyun’s grandma gently leading him towards her grandson. He smiled as he stopped in front of his friend, and closed his eyes, gearing up for his wish, only to open them a second later. Jongdae furrowed his brows and looked at Baekhyun. He didn’t know what to wish for – everything he needed, he already had. Baekhyun raised his brows questioningly at him, and he smiled assuredly at the brunet. He closed his eyes, made his wish, and blew the candle out.

 

He wished for everything to stay just the way it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

“J-Jongdae-ah….”

 

“Baek? What’s wrong?” Jongdae asked anxiously as he heard Baekhyun’s worried tone over the phone.

 

“It’s my grandma…”

 

That was all he needed to hear. “Where are you? I’ll be right there.” Jongdae waited until Baekhyun confirmed his location before bolting out of his house. He arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later, and found Baekhyun huddled in the hallway, against the wall. “Baek,” he whispered, sliding down to sit next to his friend. “What happened?”

 

“They said it was an accident…” Baekhyun muttered, not looking at him. “I was supposed to bring her to the market…but I had to stay after school. She went by herself…..and she… God, Jongdae! I should have been there!” Baekhyun cried, finally letting the tears escape his eyes.

 

Jongdae didn’t respond; he didn’t say  _anything_ , because he knew at that moment, nothing could get through to his friend. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the brunet, soothingly running his hand up and down the boy’s back. Baekhyun leaned into him, resting his head on Jongdae’s shoulder. 

 

They sat like that for hours – Baekhyun continued to cry, and Jongdae continued to support him in silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

“I’ll miss you, grandma,” Baekhyun sniffed, placing the flowers in front of the grave. “I’m sorry…” He felt Jongdae’s hand on his shoulder, giving him silent support. “I’m all alone now….”

 

Jongdae spun him around, grabbing both of his shoulders. “You. Are  _not_. Alone.” He grabbed Baekhyun’s face in his hands, forcing the other look at him. “You have  _me_. I’m your friend, Byun Baekhyun, and I’ll  _always_  be right by your side.”

 

Baekhyun reached his hands up, placing them over Jongdae’s. “Why are you so nice to me?”

 

“Because I like you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

“Baek, come hold this for me,” Jongdae called, climbing up onto a ladder with a light bulb in hand. Baekhyun nodded, mindlessly walking over and putting one hand on the ladder. “It’s an old ladder, so you’ll want to–”

 

Baekhyun didn’t hear the rest of what Jongdae had to say. His breath was knocked out of him as the ladder broke, and Jongdae landed on top of him on the floor. “Shit…” Jongdae groaned from above him. “Baek, are you okay?”

 

Baekhyun moaned. Jongdae froze. “Get off me, Dae.”

 

“Baek…” he heard Jongdae whisper. Baekhyun opened his eyes, finding Jongdae staring down at him.

 

“Jongdae, I can’t breathe,” Baekhyun whined, squirming underneath the other male. Jongdae smiled sheepishly before moving off of him, allowing Baekhyun to sit up with a groan. “Why do you keep staring at me?” Baekhyun asked, glancing over at his friend.

 

“Baek…can I kiss you?”

 

Baekhyun’s mouth dropped, his eyes widened as he stared at his friend in astonishment. “ _What_?”

 

“Can I kiss you?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I like you.”

 

Jongdae didn’t give him a chance to answer – he leaned in a placed a kiss on his shocked friend’s lips. When he pulled back a minute later, his brows were furrowed together. “Did you… did  _you_  feel anything?”

 

Baekhyun shook his head. “No...I-I don't think so.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

“Are things going to get awkward between us now?” Baekhyun asked, worried that he had just lost his only friend.

 

“Of course not!” Jongdae reassured him. “I guess I didn’t like you as much as I thought I did…” he muttered under his breath.

 

“Is that…a bad thing?” Baekhyun questioned, looking down at his hands. Jongdae reached over and placed his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders shortly after.

 

“No. I’ll always like you, I guess it’s just not in the romantic way like I thought it was…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# * * *

 

 

 

“We did it!” Baekhyun yelled, hugging Jongdae excitedly. “We graduated!”

 

“About time,” Jongdae groaned. “I think I would die if I had to wake up early for another class…”

 

Baekhyun punched his friend’s shoulder playfully. “Don’t be so overdramatic.”

 

“So…what are your plans now?” Jongdae asked, suddenly become serious. “Are you just going to keep working those part time jobs?”

 

Baekhyun scrunched his brows together thoughtfully, and then smiled. “I’m moving.”

 

“You’re  _what?!_ ”

 

“Grandma left me some money, and I’ve saved up some from my part time jobs as well. I still need to save a bit more...but I want to move into the city and open a bakery,” the brunet explained excitedly. "I feel like it's a way for me to honor my grandmother." He looked at his friend nervously, when Jongdae remained silent, staring at the ground.

 

“Dae? You okay?”

 

“I’ll come with you!” the raven-haired boy suddenly exclaimed.

 

“You’ll  _what_?”

 

“Come with you.” Jongdae repeated. “I’m moving to the city with you, and I’ll help you with your bakery.”

 

“But…what about your family?”

 

“My parents are both working, and they’re both doing fine right now. I’ll just make sure to send money to them…it’ll be fine!”

 

“Jongdae….are you sure?”

 

“Never been more sure in my life. You’re my friend, Byun Baekhyun. You’re my friend, and I like you. I’m devoted to you, and I’ll always be by your side.”

 

Baekhyun smiled as tears began forming in his eyes.

 

“Plus,” Jongdae added with a smirk. “Who is going to be your taste tester, and eat your delicious cheese bread if I'm not around?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

**_-FIN-_ **

****


End file.
